In-Ground Swimming Pools and the Costs
Written by: Admin | Date: Monday, 27th June 2011

Doesn’t the thought of coming home from a hard day’s work and taking a cool, refreshing dip into your own in-ground pool sound wonderful?  There are many things you should mull over when thinking about buying a pool and the cost of the pool itself is a large factor.  Depending on the materials used and the size desired, a pool installed by a professional can cost anywhere from $10,000 up to a six figure range.  You would also consider the costs of landscaping, lighting, and cleaning the pool.

You should consider before buying exactly what type of pool you want.  A vinyl-lined pool, which is cheaper than the fiberglass or cement pool, does not take as long to install as a concrete pool.  But, vinyl liners can be punctured by children, pets, and pool toys.   Vinyl pools are generally rectangular, but can be ordered in other shapes.  They also come in various colors to please any family’s personal tastes.

A fiberglass pool is molded at the factory and comes in one big bowl-shaped piece.  After the ground is excavated, the molded pool is dropped into the hole.  The fiberglass pool installation is much faster than any other type of pool.  These pools are extremely sturdy, but they come in fewer shapes and sizes than other types of pools.  Since these pools come in one piece, there must be room on your property for a truck delivery to bring it in.

The concrete pool is the most expensive but can be built to any size or shape you desire.  The concrete is either formed or poured as if you were pouring the foundation of a house or the concrete is shot onto steel-reinforced walls.  Concrete pools last much longer than any other pool and can be updated whenever you’d like unlike vinyl and fiberglass pools.

Adding to the cost of building a pool would be the accessories you would need and want to complete the pool project.  The underwater lighting, filtration system, water fill-up, and landscaping are very expensive.  And, remember that there are laws requiring that an in-ground pool be surrounded by fencing.  Installing fencing is costly.

You must consider not only having enough room for your pool, but what kind of soil you have on your property.  Some yards have veins of rock running underground that would have to be blasted in order to excavate.  This extra expense is costly and can add more time to the pool project.

Don’t forget to get a building permit.  These are required just as for any building project.  Zoning regulations require setback distances from property lines, sewer lines, and wells.  These laws also tell you how high your fence must be and what specifications the fence and gates have to meet.  You may have to get an electrical permit if you are planning lighting for the pool and the surrounding area.

Decide how deep you want your pool to be.  The depth is up to you, but you may want to consider whether children will be swimming in the pool.  If so, you may not want it to be too deep.

Pick the correct location for your pool.  The site you pick should be sunny so that the pool absorbs the heat of the sun.  It should also be located out of the wind so that the water does not evaporate and does not make you cold when you are wet.  The location should be high enough to keep the runoff of rain from washing debris into the pool and should not be in a high-water table area to keep groundwater out of the pool.

You must maintain the pool pH to a level between 7.2 and 7.8, so pool chemicals have to be included in your estimates of getting an in-ground pool.  Not doing so could endanger the health of your family.

Cleaning the pool can be a pain if you have to do it by hand.  There are two systems available to clean your pool.  An in-floor cleaning system is comprised of several nozzles that pop up in different areas of the pool and shoot water in a sweeping motion around the pool walls and floor, pushing debris toward a main drain.  There is an underwater vacuum cleaner that travels along the pool floor sucking up dirt and debris.

You should take time to research the pool builders in your area.  Compare in-ground pool costs and features of their packages and decide which one you like the best and who has the best deal.  In-ground pool installations can take anywhere from 6 – 12 weeks to complete, so start making those plans for your new pool now.  Hot weather is just around the corner, so get to it!

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